John Harbaugh won’t rule out a Dennis Pitta return

On July 28, Ravens coach John Harbaugh addressed the severity of the hip injury suffered by tight end Dennis Pitta by saying “Dennis is out for the year.”

The Ravens subsequently learned that Pitta suffered no cartilage or ligament damage to the hip when he fractured and dislocated it. That information has led to a change in Harbaugh’s stance regarding Harbaugh’s availability. He was asked Tuesday why Pitta hasn’t been placed on injured reserve and said it was because the team still had hope that Pitta could see the field in 2013.

“It’s not procedural,” Harbaugh said, via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. “As far as coming back? When we saw there was no ligament or structural damage in there, it gave us hope.”

In his Monday Morning Quarterback column on TheMMQB.com, Peter King quoted an unnamed member of the Ravens coaching staff who said “it’s not zero” when asked about the chances of a Pitta return so they are definitely willing to keep the light on for the tight end. Given the flicker of hope, there’s not much reason for the Ravens to make a final call on Pitta now when he can’t be placed on injured reserve with the possibility of return until the cut to 53 players.

It’s probably a long shot, but patience paid off for the Ravens with Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis last season.

Won’t work again this year! HGH testing is starting! If he makes it back like Suggs did he’ll be tested.

ppdoc13 says:Aug 13, 2013 8:36 PM

It obviously has been a few years and if I remember correctly there was no PFT when the Ravens won in 2000, if there was it was puny compared to this.

Being SB champion brings out all of the love from everybody. It really is funny. I look at these handles and say to myself “what do you have against the Ravens?” and then realize it isn’t a steeler fan as I would expect its just someone jealous of one of the best organizations in the league. Which having been to 5 years in a row of playoffs, 3 AFC Championships and won one SB there can be do doubt.

Only the best PED’s for the Ravens. The whole would have to on them to repeat.

Oh man there’s that word again LOL hahahahaha

—————————————————————-

I feel so honored. As a fan you know your team has arrived in a big way when fans of loser teams can only accuse them of doping and cheating to strip them of their glory.
————————————
I must get that from Ravens fans, since they made the same accusations when the Steelers won SB 43. Contradiction and copycat is the new trend Baltimore

When asked his opinion, Joe Flacco said “hey Dennis’s job was to make me look good LAST year when it counted for the contract. And help carry me to the big money along with Ray, Anquan and Jacoby. Now that I’ve been overpaid, who cares? Personally I think it’s time Dennis enjoyed a long, well-deserved rest.”

Hes probably done for the rest of his life. Pitta clearly has advanced osteoporosis or he wouldn’t have fractured his hip like that. if he comes back to play without understanding the message taught in Dr Joel Wallachs tape “DEAD ATHLETES DON’T LIE” he has no chance in hell and is doing great harm to himself if he even bothers to try.

Fact: James Harrison was caught red handed using HGH and nobody said a peep why because he played for the Steelers. And now everybody wants to accuse the Ravens of HGH. Well I got news for you losers the Ravens are the cleanest and best run organization in the NFL. We win because we draft better than anybody else. We have the best scouts, the best player development people, and the best GM in the biz. Even with ego driven coaches like Billick and Cam Cameron we still win and will continue to do so. So get over it. And who gonna beat dem Bengals?? We dey. Don’t get me wrong I will always love Marvin Lewis but their organization doesn’t compare to ours.

crownofthehelmet says:Aug 14, 2013 9:21 AM

That’s good news, especially given they initially thought it could be career ending. Good luck in teh recovery.

I’d like to see him on the field yet this year, and so would Shamarko.

Joemontanaflacco says:Aug 14, 2013 10:00 AM

Hopefully, Pitta comes back to grab a few Flacco end zone bullets in the playoffs against Houston or N.E. By then, Steelers will be looking forward to drafting a QB, two running backs, and three receivers.

udontknowjaq says:Aug 14, 2013 10:32 AM

kathy0527 … got to love your passion cause I don’t know where you get your info from I am sure its just fandom but History says otherwise in my opinion! James caught with HGH? When?

udontknowjaq says:Aug 14, 2013 10:37 AM

Joemontanaflacco says: Aug 14, 2013 10:00 AM

Hopefully, Pitta comes back to grab a few Flacco end zone bullets in the playoffs against Houston or N.E. By then, Steelers will be looking forward to drafting a QB, two running backs, and three receivers.

Why would the Steelers do that? They are already better in 2 of them areas then the Ravens have. History shows the Steelers draft SB MVPs at these positions at no matter what position they draft so be carful what you wish for what makes you laugh can make you cry… hahahaha

lovefootball4life says:Aug 14, 2013 11:39 AM

crownofthehelmet says: Aug 14, 2013 9:21 AM

That’s good news, especially given they initially thought it could be career ending. Good luck in teh recovery.

I’d like to see him on the field yet this year, and so would Shamarko.
—-
Thanks crown. I doubt he’ll return though.

Sure Shamarko would like him back. That way when your 5’9″ safety is beaten soundly by a 6’4″ tight end he can easily claim he was too short.

Joemontanaflacco says:Aug 14, 2013 11:41 AM

“I’d like to see him on the field yet this year, and so would Shamarko.”

I doubt Troy, Gay, and Clark want to share the spotlight after they entertained us all with that Three-Stooges-style-triple-head-bonk-move when Cruz sailed in for a 53-yd TD.

crownofthehelmet says:Aug 14, 2013 11:59 AM

lf4l, you’re an inch off both ways – Elam is 5-10 and Heath is 6-5.

lovefootball4life says:Aug 14, 2013 12:14 PM

crown, that is a match up we will never get to see. Miller, upon return, will be held back to block the Ravens torrential pass rush. Which side to put him – Suggs or Dumervil’s? Which one would Ben prefer to sack him? Put Heath on the other side.

crownofthehelmet says:Aug 14, 2013 12:34 PM

I agree we won’t see the matchup lf4l, unless Miller’s route takes him to the sidelines where Elam is riding the pine.

steelerben says:Aug 14, 2013 1:16 PM

I understand this is a win now league, but to bring someone back in the same season after a hip fracture doesn’t sound like a very good idea. While there wasn’t additional damage to complicate the injury, and possibly threaten his career (which is good news), that doesn’t seem like a rehab you want to push. You’d much rather see the guy have a long career than one last playoff push.

@Nofool: you can’t make comments like this:

“Ah the benefits of deer antler spray….lol”

and then complain about “Ravens trolls” on threads about Steelers players. You are making the rest of us look bad and you need to knock it off. Either take as much as you dish out or stop trolling.

Speaking as a surgeon, many of you have zero clue. We really don’t know his injury except to say that he had a fx disloc with NO ligament damage. That means to me that it may Weill be a minimal fx coming after the disloc. The head of the femur is tied into the acetabulum to have a disloc with no ligament damage tells me the injury is not as severe as they expected.